I am running for office because, in 2007, my great-aunt had the audacity to ask me “why not you?"

In 2007, while visiting my great-aunt in the hospital, (the same hospital where I donated my kidney to her exactly five years before) we sparked a conversation about the upcoming presidential election and who we could count on to advocate for change. Little did I know, she would remind me of my life’s purpose by simply asking, “why not you?” You see, I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio in a single parent household where my mother, a college dropout, was addicted to drugs. My father, a Vietnam Veteran, never went to college and suffered from addiction as well. My mother and I transitioned frequently, living with friends and relatives. With each move, I questioned why this was my life? And although my mother and father no longer lived the damaging lifestyle they once did, as a young adult, I spent a number of years trying to find an answer for or explanation of my past. From the day I last heard my aunt speak, I have spent my life trying to make a difference by serving others and giving people a voice—the voice, I initially thought, I did not have. I have served my country in the U.S. Navy, advocated on behalf of children and families and worked with organizations providing services to our most vulnerable populations.

I am running for office because I will bring a level of unconditional advocacy to the statehouse. I have become uncomfortable watching on the sidelines as a mockery of our democracy continues to be made. All while, my contribution was nothing more than a complaint. My inaction was unacceptable. I refuse to idly stand by while income inequality, access to affordable and quality healthcare, and the fight for equitable education continue to be growing issues. Columbus is undoubtedly hailed as one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family – yet, there are residents who do not share in that sentiment, who feel as though they and their communities have been left behind. I am running to make sure their voices are amplified and empowered in the statehouse. I am choosing to be a role model, so young people will never have to be asked, “why not you?” They will just know.